Festival brings authentic food, feeling of Greece to Marin

Published 4:00 am, Friday, May 13, 2005

Odysseas Fourakis and Maria Sooklaris for the Marin Greek
Festival on Memorial Day weekend in Novato. Credit: Courtesy Effie Fourakis

Odysseas Fourakis and Maria Sooklaris for the Marin Greek
Festival on Memorial Day weekend in Novato. Credit: Courtesy Effie Fourakis

Photo: Courtesy Effie Fourakis

Festival brings authentic food, feeling of Greece to Marin

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The 33rd annual Marin Greek Festival is Memorial Day weekend, and roughly 2,700 people are expected to attend the festival each day.

"The setting up here is very similar to what you'll find in Greece -- the backyard has trellises with grape leaves," said Rose Hunter, a member of the steering committee. There is an amphitheater in the back and a beautiful view of the bay.

The 50 women on the food and pastry committees began cooking for the festival in February. Labor-intensive delicacies, including tiropitas (filo cheese pie), spanakopita (spinach filo pie) and dolmathes (grape leaves stuffed with rice) were made weeks in advance.

Hunter said dolmathes originated in Thebes during the reign of Alexander the Great. They were created by cooks who did not wish to waste the grape leaves left after the winemaking harvest. The Nativity of Christ Church in Novato uses organic grape leaves from Lodi to wrap its dolmathes.

Just about everything is made from scratch, including the mouth-watering assortment of pastries such as baklava (filo and nut pastry with syrup) , galaktoboureko (custard-filled filo pastry with syrup) and kourabiedes (butter cookies dusted with powdered sugar).

Loukoumades (honey-glazed doughnut holes) were given to winners of games in ancient Greek festivals, Hunter said. They were considered a luxury because they were cooked in oil and drizzled with honey. The labor-intensive fritters are still considered a special-occasion treat.

The women will be cooking from 6 a.m. two days before the festival to finish the a la carte offerings, which include pastitso (macaroni-and-beef casserole) and moussaka (eggplant-and-ground-meat casserole). In addition, they will offer a full dinner of roasted leg of lamb or chicken served over rice pilaf with salad.

The roasted lamb is local Sonoma spring lamb, marinated in Greek oregano and rosemary grown on the church grounds. Greek oregano comes from Greece's mountains and is harvested during early May and June.

"It has an elegant taste, completely different from regular oregano here. Once you taste it, you can tell," said Amalia Haginicols, who has been cooking for the food committee for more than 33 years.

Yet by far, the gyro is the most popular dish at the festival. Gyros are usually only available at festivals. The gyros found at mall food courts are often strips of meat that are grilled, as opposed to the real deal, which are slices taken from a hunk of meat continuously roasted on a vertical rotisserie. Gyro means "to turn around," said Hunter.

"It can be really crispy if it's done right -- it's really yummy," said Effie Fourakis, artistic director of the church's Minoan Dancers for the past 19 years.

The food committee buys the gyro meat pre-formed into cones, then roasts it themselves. Men slice the meat, as they seem to have perfected the art of shaving the cooked top layer of the cone so that the still-uncooked meat underneath will continue to roast as it spins. Other tasks delegated to the men include frying the calamari and working the bar.

"The men have to do something besides dancing and drinking," joked Haginicols.

Indeed, "when Greeks have too much ouzo, all their frustration go to plates," said Haginicols, referring to the century-old tradition of breaking plates. In this age of lawsuits, carnations and cash are favored over plates for throwing.

Fourakis elaborates on the plate throwing: When one is having a good time at a party and inspired by the music, "you get caught up in the moment and spirit of everything." This flow is called kefi.

Festivalgoers who wish to try to cultivate kefi are encouraged to participate in the free dance lessons taught by the Minoan Dancers each afternoon. They will teach taverna dances, which are done at weddings and taverns, and involve dancing in a circle holding hands.

The Minoan Dancers, comprising four age groups ranging from 5-year-olds to adults, have won many gold medals within their diocese, competing against 1, 500 dancers in seven Western states.

They will perform regional dances four times daily over the Memorial Day weekend. Fourakis said that dances originating in the Greek mainland, especially in the mountains, are distinguished by their heavy steps and clothing. Conversely, the dances from the islands feature lighter steps and clothing, reflecting the warmer weather.

The Minoan Dancers will present "The Minoan Civilization -- Fact or Fiction" at 4 p.m. May 29. At its height, the Minoan civilization rivaled the contemporary civilizations of Egypt. The Minoans had developed a written language and built apartments in the capital city that stood as many as six stories tall, complete with plumbing systems.

The Labyrinth dance pays tribute to the myth and possibly historical anecdote of Theseus and the Minotaur. This dance was done at weddings with the groom in front, so he could learn to maneuver the labyrinth of life. The dance is also symbolic of the Cretan people's spirit and pride in the face of violence and suppression by groups such as the Romans, Turks and Nazis.

Other entertainment throughout the weekend includes pan-Hellenic music by the group Compania, and performances by the Sons of Ulysses, who are known for picking up tables with their teeth. In addition, there will be Greek import booths, arts and crafts, and tours of the church.

For those who wish to try to re-create Greek dishes at home, there will be cooking demonstrations of recipes from the church's cookbook, "Greek Cookery Marin." The cookbook was published in the 1980s, and church members plan to rewrite it within the next two years with an emphasis on health, including modifications for vegetarians and the lactose intolerant.

Free parking and shuttles, a half-hour before festival opening, at the Indian Valley College parking lot at the west end of Ignacio Boulevard. Parking for disabled available at the festival, 1110 Highland Drive in Novato. $5; $3 for children 4-12; free for 3 and under. (415) 883-1998; www.NativityofChrist.org.